Women of Inspiration Virtual Awards Presentation
Wednesday, December 9 | 6:00 p.m. MST
WISE Members $25; general public $35.
Open to all who wish to be inspired!
Purchase your tickets here.
We all needed some inspiration in the year 2020, and WISE Arizona found it in these remarkable women. They have each inspired us to expect more, to do more, and to be more. Please, come be inspired and join us in this celebration of these inspiring women. (Read a little bit about them below.)
Kate Girotti
Regional Vice President of Marketing | ASM Global Assistant General Manager | Gila River Arena
Kate Girotti, ASM Global’s Regional VP of Marketing and Assistant General Manager of Gila River Arena, is an innovative senior marketing and business operations executive with proven success in delivering revenue optimization strategies, elevating fan experiences and transforming brands. A graduate from the University of Massachusetts Sports Management Program with over 20 years of industry experience, Kate has worked on marketing and brand strategy for some of the top companies in the industry including BSE Global, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Six Flags and various NHL and AHL hockey teams. In her role as Regional Vice President of Marketing for ASM Global, she works with venues around the world to build marketing strategies designed to engage consumers, maximize sales, drive revenue and gain market share. She is an active member of the Arizona Chapter of Women in Sports and Events and volunteers her time speaking to sports management classes at local colleges and universities as well as mentoring young women looking for guidance through various stages of their careers.
Nona Lee
Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer | Arizona Diamondbacks
Nona Lee is in her 21st season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020, and serves as Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, overseeing all legal issues for the organization. Before dedicating her time solely to the D-backs, she served as Associate General Counsel (2000-04) and VP and Associate General Counsel (2004-05) for the Phoenix Suns, D-backs, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers, Chase Field, US Airways Center and Dodge Theater.
Lee is active in the community and in the sports industry. She is the founder of the Phoenix Women's Sports Association, an Arizona non-profit organization whose mission is to help girls and women find their power through sports. In addition, she has served on the board of, and is currently a member of the trustee emeritus group of, the Women's Sports Foundation in New York, a non-profit organization founded by Billie Jean King. Lee also served on the Board of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission, the Pepperdine Athletic Board, and on the board of Florence Crittenton.
Lee has received numerous awards over the course of her storied career. Most recently, in 2018, Lee was honored as a member of the Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers class, and in 2019 was honored as a Woman of Distinction by "Achieving My Purpose", and was also honored by the Arizona State Bar as Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year.
Prior to joining the sports industry, Lee had a brief stint as a corporate associate at Gallagher & Kennedy, specializing in corporate transactions and securities, after having worked as a litigator for Meyer Hendricks, specializing in commercial litigation, personal injury and medical malpractice, from 1995-99. Lee received her Juris Doctor in 1995 from the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude.
Karen Rausch
Senior Vice President, People Experience | Phoenix Suns
Karen Rausch is in her 26th season with the Phoenix Suns, overseeing Human Resources and Guest Experience for the Suns as well as for the Phoenix Mercury and Sports & Entertainment
Services. In her position as Senior Vice President of People Experience, she focuses on creating an exceptional experience for both employees and arena guests alike.
Rausch joined the organization one year after the Suns moved into Talking Stick Resort Arena and has been instrumental in the growth and organizational development of the team’s
business and arena operations. Under her leadership, the human resources team is responsible for employment branding, recruitment, benefits administration, training and development, employee relations and diversity and inclusion initiatives supporting approximately 1,000 employees across all entities. Rausch began her career in human resource management with America West Airlines (American Airlines) where she spent five years managing airport and inflight employees.
She serves on advisory boards for the Valley of the Sun YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Phoenix. In addition, she is a founding leader and Vice President of the Women in Sports and Events (WISE) chapter of Arizona. A Phoenix native, Rausch is a graduate of Arizona State University and in 1997 was awarded the designation of Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
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